Drones Flying Too Close To Airplanes At JFK Airport

Drones are becoming a real problem for pilots and the safety of passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating two incidents in which airplanes spotted a drone flying near them as they were landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports.

The first, JetBlue Flight 1843, reported a drone sighting at 2:24 p.m. while approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to the FAA. In the audio recording, the cockpit says that the drone passed just below the planes nose when the jet was flying at an altitude of about 800 to 900 feet.

Then at about 5 p.m., Delta Flight 407 — which had 154 people on board — was preparing to land when the cockpit reported seeing a drone below its right wing.

Both airplanes landed safely and they didn’t have to take any evasive actions, but the proximity of the drones and the rising frequency in recent weeks is very concerning.

Drones are not supposed to fly within 5 miles of an airport without notifying the control tower. They are also not supposed to fly above 400 feet.

Drones flying too close to commercial flights can be sucked into the engine or crash into the cockpit window, putting the safety of the passengers and staff at risk. Th drone can destroy an engine if it gets sucked into it and if it goes into the cockpit window, it can injure or even kill a pilot.

There’s already different suggestions on how to keep drones away from airport and aircraft. There’s already heavy fines and jail sentences being handed out for those who are caught. Also there’s suggestions to jam drones that fly within 5 miles of an airport, which would just make them fall down to the ground.